Feed system for die cutting press



Feb. 18, 1969 E. HAAS ET AL FEED SYSTEM FOR DIE CUTTING PRESS Sheet 5 IN V EN TORS EDGAR HAAS By EDWARD KOTTSIE PE? M ATTORNEVS l I 1:! :I

Filed Nov. 21, 1966 Feb. 18, 1969 E. HAAS ET AL 3,428,232

FEED SYSTEM FOR DIE CUTTING PRESS Filed Nov. 21, 1966 Sheet 2 of 4 INVENTORS EDGAR HAAS EDWARD KOTTSIEPSR ATTOR/V E Y5 Feb. 18, 1969 E. HAAS ET AL 3,428,232

FEED SYSTEM FOR DIE CUTTING PRESS Filed Nov. 21, 1966 Sheet 2 o! 4 //Z INVENTORS EDGAR HAAS I BY EDWARD KOTTSIEPER Feb. 18,1969 EHAAS ET AL 3,428,232

FEED SYSTEM FOR DIE CUTTING PRESS Filed Nov. 21, 1966 Sheet 4 of 4 INVENTORS 0 GAR HAAS EDWARD KOTTS/EPER L W52 W M ATTORMIKS United States Patent 3,428,232 FEED SYSTEM FOR DIE CUTTING PRESS Edgar Haas, New York, N.Y., and Edward Kottsieper,

Dresden Mills, Maine, assignors to Herman Schwabe Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 595,939

US. Cl. 226--115 30 Claims Int. Cl. B65h 23/04; B26f 1/38 This invention relates to die-cutting presses, and more particularly to an improved feed system therefor.

In the manufacture of shoes, handbags, clothing, and other products, it is common to use a die-cutting press having a cutting block and a flat platen movable thereover to operate on one or more loose dies which are manually moved over a section of the material resting on the cutting block. The dies may be clicker dies or walker dies, the latter being higher than a mans hand to lessen the chance of injury. The press may be a clicker press having a single overhung swingable arm, or double arms, or it may be a travel head press. With material supplied in rolls it is common to work on multiple plies of the material, the stack of piles being formed on a very long lay-up table when the material comes from a single roll, or being formed from multiple rolls the plies from which are superposed. The stack is usually fed through the press from back to front, and after the operator has cut the material and then moves the die (or dies) manually and again cut the material until the entire section on the cutting block has been cut, he picks up the useful cut pieces and then draws the material forward through the press until a new uncut section rests on the cutting block, whereupon he begins work on the new section.

The general object of the present invention is to improve apparatus of the described character. A more specific object is to make it possible for the skilled operator to use his skill continuously for cutting the material with maximum utilization of the material. A further object is to make possible almost continuous operation of the press, this being a costly piece of equipment which usually is idle while the cut pieces are being picked up and a new section of material is being brought into operative position. Still another object is to assist in the moving of the stacked material by power means. The increasing use of synthetic materials of substantial width, say five feet wide, makes it difficult to move the mate rial. Power movement also facilitates the use of a greater number of plies, which again conserves in the working time of the operator and the press.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, our invention resides in the feed system for a die-cutting press and the relation of the elements thereof to the press, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation showing the improved feed system applied to a die-cutting press;

FIG. 2 shows the middle portion of FIG. 1 drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a partial end elevation looking from the left of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an elevation like the right hand portion of FIG. 1, but showing the use of nip rolls at the rear of the press;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing a further modification using a conveyor belt as well as nip rolls at the rear of the press;

FIG. 6- is a fragmentary plan view of one end of a first clamp and feed mechanism;

FIG. 7 is an elevation thereof;

ice

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the second clamp mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 99 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is an electrical diagram for the system.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is a die-cutting press 12 having a fixed cutting block resting on a bed 14, and a platen 16 which is movable over bed 14 to operate on one or more dies, not shown, which are manually moved over a section of soft, flexible material 18 (FIG. 2) resting on the cutting block. The press 12 is a travel head press, and in FIG. 3 the travelling head with its platen 16 may be rapidly moved to the left or right by means of a handle 19, and is depressed by push buttons, not shown. Such a press is capable of handling very wide material. The press also may be a clicker press having one or two overhung swinging arms.

The guide system comprises an upper roll 20 (FIG. 2) in front of the cutting block, and a lower roll 22 near the floor at the press. The operator stands on a platform 24 disposed in front of the press and somewhat raised from the floor. There are means including a guide roll 26, to guide the material generally horizontally beneath the platform 24 to the lower roll 22, and then upward as shown at 28 to the upper roll 20, and thence horizontally through the press, as shown at 18. The system further comprises intermittently operable feed mechanism to feed the material through the press in a direction from front to rear, together with control means such as a foot switch symbolized at 30, whereby the operator, after cutting the desired pieces in the section of material 18 in the press, may run the feed mechanism to feed a new uncut section into the press, the cut section simultaneously moving out of the rear of the press.

In FIG. 1 there is a support table 32 in back of the press to receive the cut material, thus permitting an unskilled assistant working at table 32 to pick up and stack the cut pieces, while the skilled operator is working on the next section of material in the press. The residuary scrap web may fall at the end of the table as is indicated at 34. It should be understood that it is only because of the front to rear feed of the material that this efiicient operation is possible, and the front to rear feed itself is made possible by running the material near the floor beneath the operator, the latter standing on a slightly raised platform.

The feed system shown is well adapted for the feeding of multiple plies, and in FIG. 1 there are six such plies coming from six supply rolls 36, carried on an A frame 38. The roll 26 is preferably flanged at its ends to hold the plies in side-to-side alignment, and it preferably exerts some tension, as by being gravitationally urged downward, and for this latter purpose roll 26 is carried at the rear ends of a pair of arms 40 FIG. 2 which are pivoted at 42. The number of plies may vary, and may be reduced down to say four plies when working with a thick soft material such as foamed plastic, and up to say ten or more plies when working with denser material of more usual thickness.

The stack of plies may be quite thick, causing a significant difference in radius as the material bends around a guide roll such as the top and bottom rolls 20 and 22. Such a bend may cause a relative shift of the plies, and in preferred design the upper and lower rolls 20 and 22 are so relatively located as to provide equal angular bends of the material, so that any relative shift of the plies caused by the difference in radius at one roll, is compensated at the other roll. When as here the material is horizontal ahead of roll 22, and again following roll 20, it is merely necessary to use rolls of equal diameter, the equality of angle being inherent. The angle is preferably somewhat less than as shown in FIG. 2, thereby increasing the toe room available for the operator working on platform 24 in front of the press.

Rolls such as the rolls and 22 might be used as feed rolls, but in preferred form the feed mechanism has clamps indicated at 44 and 46 in FIG. 2 to seize the multiple plies of material to move the same. There are two sidewardly spaced clamps 44 together with means, in this case sprocket chains 48, for moving the same through the press, these clamps 44 being adapted to seize the multiple plies of material and to move the same over the cutting block on bed 14. In preferred form there are two complete feed mechanisms, the second feed mechanism comprising two sidewardly spaced clamps 46 moved by suitable means such as sprocket chains 50. The second feed mechanism is located beneath the platform 24, and both feed mechanisms are preferably moved simultaneously and equally by operation of the control means previously referred to.

The material passing beneath platform 24 is preferably supported on an endless conveyor belt 52 (FIG. 2) beneath the material beneath the platform. This guards against the material sagging and perhaps touching the floor. The belt 52 might be driven by one of its support rolls, but is here shown carried on rolls 54 and 56 which are idle. However, the clamps 46 are arranged to seize the upper pass of the conveyor belt 52 together with the multiple plies of material resting on the belt, and thus the belt is moved positively along with the material resting thereon.

Considering the feed mechanism in greater detail, and referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, there is a fixed guide rail 60 outside each side edge of the material, and a carriage 62 slidable on the guide rail. The means for moving the carriage, in this case sprocket chain 48 (FIG. 8), is connected to the carriage by means of a rod 64 which passes slidably through the carriage with lost motion. There is a bottom clamp plate 67 on brackets 66 forming a part of the cast carriage 62, and located at a level just beneath the material 18. The top clamp jaws 44 are carried by the carriages 62 above the material 18, and there are clamp arms 68 for operating the jaws 44, these being pivoted at 70. Arms 68 are connected by generally upright links 72 to the lost motion rods 64. Rods 64 are round but have vertical flats at the links 72.

The clamps may be arranged to either pull the material, or to push the material. In FIG. 2 the clamps 44 of the upper feed mechanism pull the material through the press, while the clamps 46 of the lower feed mechanism push the material 'beneath the platform. In FIG. 8 the material is being pulled, and chain 48 has already moved rod 64 toward the right, thereby changing link 72 from an angular position suggested in broken lines at 72, to the upright position shown in solid lines. It will be understood that when the link 72 is in angular position, the clamp arm 68 is lowered and the jaw 44 is raised, thereby releasing the material 18 during the return movement of the chain 48 and carriage 62.

Referring to FIG. 2, the sprocket chain 48 is carried on sprocket wheels 74 and 76, and there is a similar chain on sprocket wheels at the other side of the press. A gear reduction motor 78 is here used as a motive means to drive sprocket wheel 76, and a corresponding sprocket wheel on the other side of the press, these being secured to a common shaft 80 which extends from one side to the other. The sprocket wheel 74 may be idle, or may be secured to a shaft 82, the said shaft acting also as a support for the idle roller 20 previously referred to.

Reverting to FIGS. 8 and 9, the clamp arm 68 could be formed integrally with the arm 84 of jaw 44. However, the width of the material being handled may vary from time to time, and it is therefore preferred to make jaw 44 sidewardly adjustable. For this purpose there is a shaft 70 which is carried by a bearing support 86 on each carriage, and which extends all the way across the press above the material 18, as is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 9. The clamp arms 68 are permanently secured to the ends of shaft 70. The jaw arms 84 are adjustable axially along the shaft 70. In preferred form their hubs are split, as shown at 88 in FIG. 9, and are locked to the shaft by means of clamp bolts 90. This affords rotative as well as axial adjustment, but additional means are provided for more critical rotative adjustment. The bottom plate 67 may be thought of as two bottom jaws end to end, cooperating with the top jaws.

In FIG. 8 it will be seen that link 72 is adjustable in length as by means of left and right hand threads 92 turned by a center head portion 94, the adjustment being fixed as by a lock nut 96.

The rod 64 is preferably provided with screw adjustment means for adjusting the amount of its lost motion. For the purpose the rod is threaded at 98 and provided with a stop nut 100, The adjustment may be locked, as by means of a set screw 101, with a plastic pad engaging the thread. The motion at the other end may be limited by a fixed collar 102. A screw and nut could be used but is not essential. Stop collar 102 has flats at 103. The use of a positive stop has the advantage of protecting soft.

plies against excessive clamp pressure, and has the more important advantage of making the feed travel positive instead of somewhat indefinitefIhe nut then controls the lift or opening of jaw 44 during the return movement, but the down or closed position of the jaw may be adjusted at link 72, as previously described.

TThe threaded connection shown at 104 between chain 48 and rod 64 has leftand right-hand threads, and is turned by a center head 106. This adjustment is not essential, but is convenient for adjusting the slack or tightness of the sprocket chain 48. The right end of screw 104 is threadedly received in the left end of the slide rod 64. The adjustment may be locked, as by means of a lock nut or a set screw.

When the jaws 44 are adjustable from side to side as here shown, the bottom clamp preferably is a long plate 67 (like plate 126 in FIG. 6) which extends beneath the material 18 (FIGS. 8 and 9) all the way from one carriage 62 to the other. The plate 67 thus serves as a bottom clamp jaw regardless of the side to side location of the top jaws 44. The working faces of the jaws may be smooth, or may be knurled. In the present case it is preferred to make the top of clamp plate 66 smooth, and the bottoms of the jaws 44 knurled.

The lower. feed mechanism may be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawing. Here again there are fixed guide rails slidably receiving carriages 112, these being moved by sprocket chains 50 connected to the carriages by lost motion rods 114, which are slidable for a limited distance in the carriage, the lost motion being defined by an adjustable nut 116 on the threaded portion 118 of rod 114. At the other end the motion is stopped by a collar 120. As before, the effective chain length may be adjusted by means of a threaded connection 122 having left and right-hand threads and a center head 124. Carriages 112 a bottom clamp plate 126, which preferably extends all the way across the machine from the carriage at one side to the carriage at the other side. The clamp plate 126 preferably is disposed beneath the support belt or conveyor belt 52 previously referred to, which in turn supports the multiple plies of material shown at 128. The jaws 46 over the material cooperate with plate 126 to clamp the conveyor belt 52 as well as the material 128, for simultaneous movement. Material 128: in FIG. 6 is another part of the same material as the plies mark 18 and 28 in FIG. 2.

Jaws 46 (FIGS. 6-7) are carried on arms 130 which have hubs 132 secured on a cross shaft 134 which extends all the-way across the machine above the material 128. Split hubs 132 may be tightened by means of clamp bolts 136 (FIG. 6), for side to side and/or rotative adjustment, as previously described.

Clamp arms 138 are fixedly secured to the ends of shaft 134, which is carried in bearing supports 140 forming a part of the carriages 112. Clamp arms 138 are connected by generally upright links 142 to the slide rods 114. FIG. 7 shows the jaw 46 in released or raised position, the slide rod 114 being moved toward the left by chain 50, as it is during the return movement of the clamp, it being recalled that the present clamp acts as a push feed. In either case (FIG. 7 or FIG. 8) the link 142 assumes an angular position during return movement to release the clamp jaw, and then during the feed movement the link moved to a more nearly upright position in order to close the feed jaw, following which the carriage is moved bodily with the feed jaw.

Reverting now to FIG. 2, the sprocket chains 50 (one on each side of the machine) are carried on sprocket wheels 144 and 146, the former being fixed on a shaft extending across the machine and driven by a gear reduction motor 148. The drive system is essentially the same as that previously described, except that in this case it is more convenient to dispose the motor 148 upward, whereas for the upper feed mechanism previously described, it is more convenient to dispose the motor 78 downward, both motors being shown in FIG. 2. The sprocket wheels 146 are idle, but also may be secured to a common shaft, if desired.

The upper feed mechanism preferably is provided with forward and return limit switches indicated schematically at 150 and 152. The lower feed mechanism could be provided with limit switches, but these are not necessary, because the motors 78 and 148 are operated in unison, and the motor size, gear reduction, sprocket wheel size, etc., are made alike, resulting in equal travel. Any slight discrepancy is not cumulative and therefore is of no consequence because the jaws release the material during each return movement.

The electrical diagram is shown in FIG. 10. A treadle or foot switch is indicated at 30. The two limit switches are shown at 150 and 152. The drive motors are shown at 78 and 148, these preferably being three phase motors for efiiciency and easy reversability. The motors are supplied by a three phase line indicated at 154.

The motors are controlled by starters of conventional type, typical examples being those made by Allen Bradley (20., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and General Electric Co. of Schenectady, New York. The starters are magnetic starters arranged for both forward and reverse drive of a three phase AC motor. They are usually provided with an interlock to prevent connection for both forward and reverse operation at the same time. They also contain other appropriate and usual safety features to protect the motor. In FIG. 10 it will be seen that the starters and motors are connected in parallel so that both are operated in unison.

When the operator depresses the foot switch 30, both forward starters are closed through the normally closed remote limit switch 150, thereby starting both motors, whereupon both feed mechanisms seize the material and move it forward until the said forward limit switch 150 is reached and opened. This automatically stops the forward motion whether or not the foot switch 30 is still depressed by the operator. Then the operator removes his foot and the starters and motors are operated in reverse direction through the then closed rear limit switch 152, and the clamps are moved back to starting position until limit switch 152 is reached and opened, whereupon the motors are stopped. (The indications FOR and REV in the starter box do not necessarily coincide with forward and reverse as applied to the feed clamps.)

Other wiring arrangements are feasible. In the present case the clamps are usually returned immediately after the feed movement, with bottom plate 67 off the cutting block in front, but if in some cases the clamps are thought to be in the way, the wiring may be modified so that the clamps remain at limit switch 150, and are not returned until immediately preceding the feed operation. For this operation in which the feed jaws are normally retracted,

it is merely necessary to reverse the connections to the foot switch 30, and to stop the bottom plate 67 beyond the cutting block. A disadvantage is the loss of a few seconds while the jaws come forward before beginning their feed movement.

In still another case it may be preferred that the operator gauge the desired amount of feed by eye, and in such case the forward limit switch may be omitted or may be moved to a safety position slightly beyond the normal stopping position. The operator steps on the foot switch until the material has been advanced as far as desired, and then removes his foot from the switch.

In FIG. 1 the mechanism behind the press was a simple support table 32. This may be elaborated somewhat as shown in FIG. 4, in which there are nip rollers mounted in elevated position by supports not shown, which rollers receive the residuary scrap or cut web 162, this being delivered into a suitable container 164. The nip rollers 160 are driven by a chain or belt 166 connected to the shaft '80 of the upper feed mechanism, all driven by motor 73 as previously described. Thus the nip rollers are operated only when the feed mechanism is operated, and the parts are properly proportioned for equal linear travel. The purpose of the elevated nip rollers is to raise the scrap 162, leaving the useful cut pieces on the table 168 as shown at 170, thereby facilitating the separation of the scrap from the cut pieces. As previously explained, an unskilled assistant may work at table 168 to stack the cut pieces 170 in appropriate groups having like shapes.

Still another arrangement for facilitating the work behind the press is schematically illustrated in FIG. 5. This is like FIG. 4 in using elevated nip rollers 172 for the residuary scrap 174, the nip rolls 172 being intermittently driven by a chain or belt 176 extending back to a shaft driven by motor 178. However, in this case the useful cut pieces 180 rest on a conveyor belt 182, and this too is driven intermittently by motor 178, as by means of chain or belt 183. Thus the scrap may be collected in a suitable container 184, while the cut pieces are collected in a separate container 186.

The platform 24 (FIG. 2) may be hinged so that it can be turned out of the Way when threading a new supply of material through the machine. A special threading canvas, with a clamp at its trailing end to seize the leading ends of the multiple plies, may be employed to facilitate rapid threading of the multiple plies through the apparatus.

It is believed that the construction, operation and method of use of our improved front feed system, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. The press illustrated is a hydraulic travel head press of the type shown in Patent No. 3,190,166 issued June 22, 1965, but it will be understood that the invention is applicable to any press in which the dies are loose manually moved dies such as clicker or walker dies. Thus, the press may have a single swinging arm, as in an ordinary clicker press, or two swinging arms as in a double clicker press. The feed mechanism will be used to push the material when it has body and stiffness, or it may be used to pull the material, the latter being preferred when working with very soft materials. In the present apparatus both are used. The feed in the press is a pull feed, and the feed beneath the platform is a push feed, but it will be understood that both feeds could be pull feeds, and in many cases both could be push feeds. Some features of the clamp feed mechanism itself are useful even for feed in conventional direction (from rear to front), and for that purpose it is merely necessary to operate the feed in reverse direction, the jaws 44 then operating as a push feed if disposed exactly as shown at 44 in FIG. 2. However, they can be reversed in the press to take the position shown at 46, to then act in the press as a pull feed. In either case the upright link and the lost motion of the slide rod are so related that the upright link is in angular position during the return movement, and is moved to upright or nearly upright position during the feed movement.

Because the top jaws are secured to a single shaft 70 that shaft may be operated by a single upright link at one side of the machine, instead of having identical links at both sides, as here described, but the latter are preferred for symmetry and equalization of force at both sides of the machine, lest the long shaft 70 yield somewhat in torsion.

It will therefore be understood that while we have shown and described our feed system in several preferred forms, changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A feed system for use with a die-cutting press having a cutting block and a platen movable thereover to operate on a die which is manually moved over a section of flexible material resting on the cutting block, said feed system comprising an upper roll in front of the block, a lower roll near the floor at the press, a platform for the operator located in front of the press and somewhat raised from the floor, means to guide the material beneath the platform to the lower roll and thence upward to the upper roll and thence rearward through the press, intermittently operable feed mechanism to feed the material through the press from front to rear, and control means whereby the operator, after cutting the desired pieces in the section of material in the press, may start the feed mechanism to feed a new uncut section of material into the press, the cut section simultaneously moving out of the rear of the press.

2. A feed system as defined in claim 1, adapted for the feeding of multiple plies of material, the upper and lower rolls being so relatively dimensioned and located as to provide equal angular bends of the material, so that any relative shift of the plies occasioned by a difference in radius at one roll is compensated at the other roll.

3. A feed system as defined in claim 2, in which the rolls are idle, and in which the feed mechanism has clamps to seize the multiple plies of material to move the same.

4. A feed system as defined in claim 3, in which the clamps are located at the sides of the press, together with means for moving the same through the press, said clamps being adapted to seize the multiple plies of material and to move the same over the cutting block.

5. A feed system as defined in claim 3, in which there are two feed mechanisms which are moved simultaneously and equally under control of the control means, one of said feed mechanisms being located beneath the platform, and the other feed mechanism being located in the press, each feed mechanism having clamps to seize the multiple plies of material to move the same.

6. A feed system as defined in claim 5, in which there is an endless conveyor belt beneath the material beneath the platform to support the material, said conveyor belt being carried on idle rolls, the feed mechanism beneath the platform including clamps which seize the conveyor belt together with the multiple plies of material.

7. A feed system as defined in claim 6, in which there are additional means at the back of the press to receive and support the useful cut pieces and the residuary scrap material.

8. A feed system as defined in claim 7, in which the means at the back of the press includes nip rolls to raise and thereby separate the residuary scrap material in web form from the useful cut pieces, and means to drive the nip rollers simultaneously with the feed mechanisms.

9. A feed system as defined in claim 7, in which the means at the back of the press includes a generally horizontal conveyor to support and deliver the useful cut pieces, nip rolls to raise and thereby separate the residuary scrap material in web form from the cut pieces, and means to drive the conveyor and the nip rolls simultaneously with the feed mechanisms.

10. A feed system as defined in claim 1, in which the feed mechanism has clamps to seize multiple plies of material to move the same.

11. A feed system as defined in claim 1, in which the feed mechanism has clamps located at the sides of the press together with means for moving the same through the press, said clamps being adapted to seize multiple plies of material and to move the same over the cutting block.

'12. A feed system as defined in claim 1, in which there are two feed mechanisms which are moved simultaneously and equally under the control of the control means, one of said feed mechanisms being located beneath the platform, and the other feed mechanism being located in the press, each feed mechanism having clamps adapted to seize multiple plies of material to move the same.

13. -A feed system as defined in claim 12, in which there is an endless conveyor belt beneath the material beneath the platform to support the material, said conveyor belt being carried on idle rolls, the feed mechanism beneath the platform including clamps which are adapted to seize the conveyor belt together with multiple plies of material.

14. A feed system as defined in claim -1, in which there are additional means at the back of the press to receive and support the useful cut pieces and the residuary scrap material.

15. A feed system as defined in claim 14, in which the means at the back of the press includes nip rolls to raise and thereby separate the residuary scrap Web of material from the useful cut pieces, and means to drive the nip rollers, simultaneously with the feed mechanism.

16. A feed system as defined in claim 14, in which the means at the back of the press includes a generally horizontal conveyor to support and deliver the useful cut pieces, nip rolls to raise and thereby separate the residuary scrap web from the cut pieces, and means to drive the conveyor and the nip rolls simultaneously with the feed mechanism.

17. A feed system as defined in claim '1 in which the feed mechanism comprises a guide rail at each side of the material, a carriage slidable on each guide rail, motive means connected to a carriage by means of a rod passing slidably through the carriage with lost motion, bottom clamp means carried by the carriages beneath the material, clamp jaws carried by the carriages above the material, clamp arms for operating the jaws, and generally upright links connecting the lost motion rods to the clamp arms, the feed movement of the rods serving first to close the jaws and then to move the carriages, and the return movement of the rods serving first to open the jaws and then to move the carriages.

18. A feed system as defined in claim ;17, in which the motive means to move the carriages comprises sprocket chains supported on sprocket wheels at each guide rail, a shaft connecting a sprocket Wheel for eac chain, and a motor to drive the shaft.

19. A feed mechanism as defined in claim .17, in which there is a clamp plate extending between the carriages beneath the material, a shaft extending between the carriages above the material, the clamp arm being secured to said shaft, and the clamp jaws being secured to said shaft, the said clamp jaws being adjustable axially along the shaft to accommodate materials of different width.

20. A feed mechanism as defined in claim 17, in which the lost motion rod is provided with screw adjustment means for adjustment of the amount of lost motion.

21. A feed mechanism for use with a die cutting press having a cutting block and a platen movable thereover to operate on a section of a long flexible material resting on the cutting block, said feed mechanism comprising a guide rail at each side of the material, a carriage slidable on each guide rail, motive means connected to a carriage by means of a rod passing slidably through the carriage with lost motion, bottom clamp means carried by the carriages beneath the material, clamp jaws carried by the carriages above the material, clamp arms for operating the jaws, and generally upright links connecting the lost motion rods to the clamp 'arms, the feed movement of the rods serving first to close the jaws and then to move the carriages, and the return movement of the rods serving first to open the jaws and then to move the carriages.

22. Feed mechanism as defined in claim 21, in which the motive means to move the carriages comprises sprocket chains supported on sprocket wheels at each guide rail, a shaft connecting a sprocket wheel for each chain, and a motor to drive the shaft.

23. A feed mechanism as defined in claim 22, in which there is a clamp plate extending between the carriages beneath the material, a shaft extending between the carriages above the material, the clamp arm 'being secured to said shaft, and the clamp jaws being secured to said shaft, the said clamp jaws being adjustable axially along the shaft to accommodate materials of different width.

24. A feed mechanism as defined in claim 23, in which the lost motion rod is provided with screw adjustment means for adjustment of the amount of lost motion.

25. A feed mechanism as defined in claim 24, in which the generally upright link is provided with screw adjustment means to vary the length of the link and to thereby adjust the position of the jaws above the material relative to the clamp plate beneath the material.

26. Feed mechanism as defined in claim 25, in which the motor is electrically operated, and in which the control means to initiate the feed movement is a switch, and in which there are limit switches to terminate the feed movement and the return movement of the carriages, in order to fix the extent of the feed movement.

27. A feed mechanism as defined in claim 21, in which there is a clamp plate extending between the carriages beneath the material, a shaft extending between the carriages above the material, the clamp arm being secured to said shaft, and the clamp jaws being secured to said shaft, the said clamp jaws being adjustable axially along the shaft to accommodate materials of different width.

28. A feed mechanism as defined in claim 21, in which the lost motion rod is provided with screw adjustment means for adjustment of the amount of lost motion.

29. A feed mechanism as defined in claim 21, in which the generally upright link is provided with screw adjustment means to vary the length of the link and to thereby adjust the position of the jaws above the material relative to the clamp means beneath the material.

30. Feed mechanism as defined in claim 21, in which the motive means is electrically operated, and in which there is a switch to initiate the feed movement, and in which there are limit switches to terminate the feed movement and the return movement of the carriages, in order to fix the extent of the feed movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 699,508 5/1902 Fehr 226-164 1,762,327 6/1930 Cofiey 226-164 ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

1. A FEED SYSTEM FOR USE WITH A DIE-CUTTING PRESS HAVING A CUTTING BLOCK AND A PLATEN MOVABLE THEREOVER TO OPERATE ON A DIE WHICH IS MANUALLY MOVED OVER A SECTION OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL RESTING ON THE CUTTING BLOCK, SAID FEED SYSTEM COMPRISING AN UPPER ROLL IN FRONT OF THE BLOCK, A LOWER ROLL NEAR THE FLOOR AT THE PRESS, A PLATFORM FOR THE OPERATOR LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE PRESS AND SOMEWHAT RAISED FROM THE FLOOR, MEANS TO GUIDE THE MATERIAL BENEATH THE PLATFORM TO THE LOWER ROLL AND THENCE UPWARD TO THE UPPER ROLL AND THENCE REARWARD THROUGH THE PRESS, INTERMITTENTLY OPERABLE FEED MECHANISM TO FEED THE MATERIAL THROUGH THE PRESS FROM FRONT TO REAR, AND CONTROL MEANS WHEREBY THE OPERATOR, AFTER CUTTING THE DESIRED PIECES IN THE SECTION OF MATERIAL IN THE PRESS, MAY START THE FEED MECHANISM TO FEED A NEW UNCUT SECTION OF MATERIAL INTO THE PRESS, THE CUT SECTION SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING OUT OF THE REAR OF THE PRESS. 